Invisible- Stranger Things Fanfiction

Chapter Seventeen: The Party

*Two months later, Nikki's POV*
Things went pretty smoothly that summer, after all the monsters were dead and the couple drama had been resolved. Nancy was now showing, and had to tell her parents that she was with child (man, were they pissed). Lucas and Max had gotten each other matching promise rings... which were just mood rings that "symbolized their promise to each other." Dorks.
Mike and El were pretty happy together, but El was always saying how much cuter the other couples of the group were.
With everyone else all coupled up, Will and Steve became closer as the only single people in their social circles. Steve actually taught Will how to play basketball, and Will enjoyed blasting Bowie through Steve's stereo. It was clear that Steve wasn't just my big brother anymore; he was everyone's big brother.
   How are Dustin and I, you ask? We're the happiest outcasts alive. We've been on so many adventures this summer: the park, the beach, the monsters. Around everyone else, I was still tough and cool, but I was a damn marshmallow around Dustin Henderson. I tried not to be, but that dipshit just does something to me that makes me want to draw hearts all over my Demogorgon drawings.
   As a matter of fact, the party was throwing an end-of-summer party tonight. There were still a few weeks until school actually started for those of us still in school, but my parents were coming back from their trip soon, so we had to have one last bash before they showed up and forgot to notice anything.
   "Nikki, you need a great outfit for tonight," El said as she, Nancy, and Max sat in my room. The boys were all at Dustin's, presumably getting each other ready for tonight. They were guys, yeah, but they were really the same as us.
   Nancy nodded emphatically, her baby bump moving with her. "Yeah, this is your last chance to make Dustin see how lucky he is to have you."
   "Seeing as she almost got killed by a monster this summer, I think he knows how lucky he is to have her," Max said. She and I seemed to understand each other more. "Nik, just dress for you, not him. If you want to look great- which you always do, but you know what we mean- then do it."
   I smiled at her, silently thanking the heavens that I wasn't the only one who wasn't obsessed with impressing my man.
   Aaaaaand then I had a teenaged girl moment. "But what would I wear?"
  
*Dustin's POV*
   The guys and I were all at my place, getting ready for our end-of-summer party at Mon's house. Gosh, it seems like just yesterday she was screaming at me to put her down as I carried her away from the Displacer in her house. This summer went by faster than I ever thought possible.
   "So, Dustin," Lucas said, nudging me impishly. "You and Nikki tonight..."
   Steve groaned. "You guys, that's my baby sister," he whined.
   "Don't worry," I assured him, "I'm sure that won't be happening."
   "Oh, thank God," he whispered, wiping his forehead dramatically. "What're you gonna wear tonight, Mini Me?"
   I laughed at this. "Not sure. Jeans and a t-shirt?"
   Steve waited for me to clarify.
   "A plain white t-shirt?"
   The Harrington boy clapped his hands. "Attaboy. Don't get me wrong, the whole dorky thing is great, but you're gonna want to look cool tonight."
   "Why?"
   "It's only our last big thing of the summer," Will said, starting to sound more and more like Mon's brother. "We've gotta leave a great impression on the girls, showing them that the summer version of us is... well, we're still nerds, but damn it, we look cool."
   Yes. Our innocent little Will has started swearing. It's about freaking time. Jonathan hates it, but we really think he just hates Steve.
   I got up to rummage through my closet, grabbing my white shirt and jeans... and the little paper bag I hadn't used since the Snow Ball...

*Nikki's POV*
   "You look awesome!" El said as I finally stepped up to the mirror. I had decided on minimal makeup, letting Nancy put all of that pink shit she loves all over my eyes and cheeks. My black jeans were the perfect way to bring down the frilliness of the pink top Nancy had run home to get. (Yes, even pregnant, she still runs faster than Mike and Jonathan. Combined.)
   My face smoothed out into a satisfied smile when I saw myself. "It's... me," I sighed. It wasn't some big movie reveal like when Patrick Dempsey got all hot in Can't Buy Me Love, or when Sandy Olson goes from Sandra Dee to Pink Lady practically overnight. It was just me. And let the record show that I was totally okay with that.
   "That's what we were going for," Max said.
   The other girls had gotten ready here too, which didn't take much work. El brought her own dress (yellow frills) and smudged on her own eyeshadow, as usual. Nancy changed into a light blue tank top, but kept on her pregnancy pants because we didn't let her change into jeans. Of all of us, she had to be the most comfortable. Max just kept on her original outfit from the morning, putting her hair in a cute little ponytail that displayed the little orange and pink freckles all over her neck. It was then that I realized just how different we all were, and how beautiful every one of our styles made us. Sure, I wasn't the thinnest or prettiest one here, but I looked pretty damn good, as did the other ladies in my room.
   "Oh, shit, it's almost four," Max said, checking the watch on her wrist. (It was Lucas's, she won it off of him after an unfortunate bet was placed at the carnival's ring toss game.)
   Nancy covered the sides of her stomach. "Language, please," she whispered.
   "Honey, I don't think the baby can hear yet," I pointed out.
   "You haven't even taken a real health class or Sex Ed yet, how do you know that?"
   "I mean, it doesn't exactly seem like you paid attention in that class, so why would I need it?"
   Nancy laughed at this, brushing her hair with the spare she kept at my house. (Our house was the designated hangout now, so everyone kept their stuff here.) "So, girls," she said, changing the subject, "I don't think we've told each other what we want to do after high school. What about you, El?"
"I don't know," El answered. "Maybe a writer. I love stories, and nobody would believe me if I told them what's really happened to me, so I could turn it into a novel. Maybe even a tv show!"
   I admired her ambition. "That's great, El. I think you'd be an amazing writer."
   "Thanks," she said with a sheepish smile.
   "What do you want to do, Nance?"
   Nancy sighed. "Well, I wanted to be a teacher. And in a few years, when the baby's a bit older and I can put them in daycare, I might go to college. But for now, I'm going to get ready for this baby as I can before my due date."
   I patted her knee. "If you ever need it, I'd be more than happy to babysit."
The eldest Wheeler nodded gratefully. "That would be great, Nikki, thank you."
"Of course! We'd all love to babysit!" Max said, making us all look at her. "Yeah, big shocker: I like babies."
El laughed at this. "Max, what about you? What do you want to be?"
"A race car driver," she said almost immediately, before adding: "I'd also like to be an... actress."
"An actress? You, Max?" Nancy asked.
"I think it's a great idea," I piped in, trying to excuse Nancy's pregnancy hormones. "Max, you'd be great. You're so good at conveying emotion."
Her blank face looked back at me. "I am?"
"Well... when you try, you are."
She laughed along with the other two girls. "So, what about you, Harrington? Got any plans for when you grow up?"
I snorted. "Are you kidding? I'm never gonna grow up. I'll be a mental baby forever." After sending the girls into a fit of girls, I got a bit more serious. "After I graduate... I don't know. I just want to do something big. Bold. Daring."
"I think you could check that off your list," El said. "You know, after slaying a Spider-Cat and all."
I shook my head. "No. I mean, like you said, who would believe that? Plus, that was something I was just kind of thrown into; I was only brave enough to go through that because I was protecting all of you. Not that I don't love you guys, I do, I just... I want an adventure that's mine."
"Hopper once read to me a story that said love was the greatest adventure of all-"
"Don't even go there, El," I laughed, making her blush a bit. "That's a great thing, really, I just don't see my biggest adventure being getting married and being a housewife for the rest of my life."
Nancy looked up at me. "How do you see your biggest adventure?"
That was a good question. I thought a minute, pondering the question in my brain. Imagining every scenario where I could choose to be brave and bold. "I'd probably be alone- or, at least, without people I know around me. There would be some sort of obstacle, and I'd have to figure my own way out. Of course, I hope I would be able to figure it out, but... ya never know."
Truthfully, I was terrified for the day when I would be on my own. Steve had gotten a job as Hopper's deputy at the Hawkins Police Department and would start in September, but nobody knew how long that would last. Knowing Hopper (and my brother), Steve would figure out a way to piss off the chief before the first five minutes of the job had passed.
Max waved her hand in my face. "Nik?"
I shook my head, blinking the worry away. "I'm fine. What time is it, four? Those little morons should be here by now."
Ding, dong!
I looked at El. "Okay, how the hell did you do that?" I asked teasingly.
El laughed. "It wasn't me. Go get the door."
Laughing at my own joke, I ran downstairs to get the door. Sure enough, there stood my brother, boyfriend, and their friends. I rolled my eyes at Steve. "Why the hell did you ring the doorbell? You live here, dumbass."
Steve tousled my hair. "You look great, Squirt."
I punched him lightly in the stomach in response. "Thanks, Deputy. Come on in, guys."
The guys filed in quickly, Dustin bringing up the rear. "Hey, Mon."
Damn. Dustin was wearing an outfit that could have only been inspired by my brother, his Farrah Fawcett-sprayed hair also a Steve Harrington trademark. I found myself staring at him, trying to form a coherent sentence.
   Aaaand this is what I got: "Damn."
   Dustin laughed at me. "Right back at you," he said with a smirk, wrapping an arm around my waist. "Our last summer adventure."
   "We don't know that," I said. "There's still a few weeks left, I'm sure you'll get us into some kind of shit before we start high school."
   "Oi, lovebirds!" Jonathan yelled from the kitchen. He poked his head through the doorway, an impish smile on his face. "Wanna quit making out and get out here?"
   "Dipshit," Dustin and I both whispered as we walked into the kitchen.
   Steve had prepared a ton of snacks and things this morning before going to Dustin's place, and was currently having everyone take them to the backyard, where the girls and I already had gotten out beach blankets and laid them on the ground for all of us. Everyone picked a blanket and sat down with their snacks.
   You would've expected me to sit by Dustin, right? Well, I didn't. Will, El, and Steve sat around me, Dustin sitting with Max, Mike and Lucas. Nancy and Jonathan were off on their own, probably talking more about their baby.
   "So, Nikki," Will said, snacking on Nilla wafers. "Are you and Dustin going to go to homecoming together?"
   "I don't know," I sighed. "Can we not talk about school tonight, please? I want to just enjoy this, our last summer fling."
   Steve nudged my shoulder. "Don't worry, kiddo. It'll be great. I remember my first year-"
   "That's not not talking about it," I groaned in frustration.
   Nancy stood up and cleared her throat, trying to get all of our attention. We soon ceased our conversations and listened. "Jonathan and I have decided," she began, "on a baby name."
   "Oooooh," the rest of us chimed in.
   "What's the name, Nance?" Dustin asked excitedly.
   Jonathan stood up as well, sharing a knowing smile with Nancy before speaking: "Well, if it's a boy, Steve."
   My big brother's eyes went wide with shock, and I patted his back as I saw him blink tears out of his eyes.
   "And if it's a girl?" El asked with anticipation.
   "Nicolette," Nancy said, making all of us girls sigh in disappointment. She saw this and added, "But for short, we're gonna call her Nikki."
   "Holy shit, that's just like my name!" I squeaked excitedly.
   "It's a good thing she's pretty," Lucas whispered to Dustin, making me glare at him playfully before running up and hugging Nancy. "That's so sweet, Nance!"
   "It wasn't my idea," she said, smirking as she looked at her boyfriend.
   My eyes fell on Jonathan, my heart totally softening toward him. "Come here, you," I said, flinging out my arms and engulfing him in a hug.
   The elder Byers boy patted my back with a chuckle. "Someone get a camera, I don't think she'll ever hug me again after this."
   Everyone laughed and awed at the two of us. As I started to pull back to return to my seat, Will and Dustin jumped up and squished me and Jonathan in a group hug, followed by literally everyone else.
   "Well, isn't this sweet?"
We all slowly dispersed to hear the voice that had just spoken.
I inhaled sharply. "Mom. Dad, you're not supposed to be back until-"
"We got an early flight." My mother was smiling absentmindedly at me as my dad answered. "Who're these kids? Holy shit, Nancy Wheeler, you're pregnant?"
I rolled my eyes at them. "These are my friends, El, Max-"
"You have friends?" Mom asked in shock.
"Yeah, she does," Steve said, already annoyed with my parents after they had just gotten back. "She's been a really great friend to them, too."
Dad stepped a bit closer to my big brother. "Watch your tone there, Stevie."
Dustin, the most adorable little idiot in my life (except for maybe Will), got up and held his hand out to my dad. "Mr. Harrington, hi. I'm Dustin Henderson-"
Don't say it.
"I'm Mon's boyfriend."
Oh, shit.
My mom dropped the whole soft, caring mother act, shooting daggers at Dustin through her eyes. "Boyfriend?" she repeated.
"Mon?" Dad questioned. "Who's Mon?"
"Monica, dumbass," my mother snapped. "He's meaning to tell us that he's dating our daughter."
Dad guffawed. "Better than dating our son, I suppose."
Oi vey.
I pulled Dustin back, giving him a shut-up-and-don't-do-anything-stupid look. "Dustin is Steve's friend. He thinks he's funny, telling you we're dating."
Dustin looked at me painfully, but nodded. "Uh, yeah... heheh... it was a joke."
This looks bad, I know, but you don't understand. My dad's a grade-A asshole. He's also very old-fashioned and believes kids shouldn't even be around kids of the opposite gender because they're "too young." It's a maturity thing, yeah... but my parents are still mentally babies, so they really can't give me any of that shit.
Mom saw through my little coverup and pointed to the front gate. "I want everyone to get off of my property. Right. Now."
Mike and the others started to leave, but Dustin stayed next to me. I looked at him, took his hand, and started to leave as well.
My mom grabbed my shirt and pulled me back, making me choke slightly. "Everyone... except you."
Steve ran inside, confusing me to no end. Why would he leave me alone? Whenever I got in trouble before, he always stayed with me, making sure I was okay.
"Mrs. Harrington-"
"Go on," she interrupted Dustin, glaring at both of us. "Go home."
   Dustin started to go, but I wouldn't let go of his hand. "If he goes, I go with him," I stated plainly.
   Dad rolled his eyes. "Don't be so dramatic, Juliet," he said to me. "You're staying here."
   The garage door opened, then slammed shut. Steve ran back toward me, shoving a very full duffle bag into my hands. "Actually, she's not. Neither of us are."
   "Steve-"
   "No," Steve said, interrupting our mother. "You don't know what Nikki's gone through this summer. And it's your own fault, you chose to leave on vacation without us. Without her. She deserves so much better than the two of you looking out for her."
   My dad got right in Steve's face. "I'll tell you one more time to watch. Your. Tone."
   Steve stood his ground, staring his father right in the eyes, not batting an eyelash. "I'll tell you one more time to kiss. My. Ass. Let's go, Nik-"
   "Steve watch out!"
   Before Dustin or I could do anything to stop him, my dad had whacked Steve across the face, his Rolex knock-off scratching Steve's nose, forming a little red cut. I ran to my brother, who even then, wouldn't move a muscle. He didn't even show any signs that he had just been smacked.
   I looked to my mother, who was just watching this whole scene. "Are you going to do something?" I yelled to her. "Your husband has just drawn blood from your son's face!"
   "Oh, it's not that bad," she insisted nonchalantly.
   Dustin sensed I was getting past my point of sanity and whispered to me, "Think about what you're gonna do next, Mon."
   I moved away from him, glancing at Steve, then walking up to my mother, taking in her blonde hair and hazel eyes. "There are absolutely no similarities between the two of us," I realized.
   Not only outwardly, but inwardly, I was nothing like my mother. I actually cared about the people I claimed to love. I cared about them to stare into the face of Death for them. This... woman, the one claiming to be my mother, loved her children so much that she left them on their for a few months, not bothering to call and check in or even write a letter to tell us she missed us. I may have been born into her family, but we were nothing alike.
   "You're right about that, Monica," she replied, her eyes staring back at me. She knew exactly what I had meant by that, she just didn't want me to think so.
   I adjusted the duffle bag from Steve on my shoulder, starting to walk toward the gate to my front yard, Steve and Dustin close behind. As we left, I said one last thing, loud enough for both of my parents to hear:
   "Thank God for that."